Uncoupling device for car couplers



March 23,1926. 1,577,661

, A. E. SMALL.

UIIOOUPLIIIG mmcn ron can cqumms Filed August 12, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E 3 v s Jiverztor March 23 1926. 1,577,661

A. E. SMALL UNCOUPLING DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLERS Filed August 12, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

hurrarenter WEE.

ARTHUR E. SMALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSlG-NOR TO UNION IVIETAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF IDELAW'ARE.

UNCQUPLING DEVICE FOR CAR. COUPLERS.

Application filed. August 12, 1922. Serial No. 581,465.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, AR HUR E. SMALL, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, and being a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Uncoupling Devices for Car Couplers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled. in the art to Which it appertains to make and to use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art.

My invention relates to improvements in uncoupling devices and more particularly to a connecting link between the operating rod and lock block of a coupler, and the objects of my invention are:

First: To provide a release rigging that is easy to operate and one in which the link cannot be disconnected without removing the operating rod from the car or without removing the lock block from the coupler.

Second: To obtain a device that cannot be improperly applied to a car.

Third: To obtain a simple, economical and eflicient connection between the operating rod and the coupler lock block eye which will accommodate itself to movements in all directions causedby the movement of the car or due to the buffing of cars in transit.

Fourth: To provide a link that will securely support the coupler should the means supporting the coupler fail or break.

In similar devices now on the market it has been found that workmen distort the device when removing it from the car so that when it is replaced it does not operate properly. Other devices on the market have a tendency to straighten out due to excessive force being applied to the operating rod, or due to the fact that the connecting link must support the coupler when the carry iron fails. Chains were formerly used to connect the operating rod to the coupler lock block eye but these were found impractical and recently numerous means have been devised for this purpose. My invention lies inii'nproving such a connecting link and I attain the objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a fragmentary view of a railway car with one form of the device applied thereon.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged side elevation of connector illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged front elevation of the connector, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 1 shows a plan View of the connector, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, with a part of the operating rod shown in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of a modilication of the connector.

Fig. 6 shows a front elevation of nector illustrated in Fig. 5.

Fig.7 shows a plan view of the connector shown in Figs. 5 and 6 with a portion of the operating rod.

Fig. 8 shows the brackets for supporting the con the operating rod.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1. Numeral 1 designates the end of a car equipped with my invention; the operating rod 2 with depending operating handle 3 and the extended crank arm 4, the extremity of which is provided with an elongated eye 5, positioned substantially over; the lock block 6 in coupler 7, and the connecting link 8 form the principal parts of this device, the specific invention, however, being in the connecting link 8.

The operating rod 2 is rotatably mounted in brackets 9 and secured by cotter pins 10 so that the operating rod 9 can be easily removed from the car.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and at connecting link 8 consists of a bar bent at the center forming a loop 12 which passes through eye 13 of coupler lock block 6. Shank 14c is formed by rebending the ends 15 and 16 at 17 above loop 12 bringing the ends together in vertical and parallel alignment which pass through eye 5 of crank arm 4:, then rebending shank 14 at 18 into a hook, the extereme ends of 15 and 16 are again rebent at 19 in opposite directions, forming a head. The shank 1 1 is of such a dimension as to permit freedom of movement in all directions in eye 5 of crank arm 4. Hook 18 limits the vertical movement of crank arm 4.

The upper end of the shank 14': is bent forwardly to form a semi-circular hook 18 lying in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop 12. Upon an abnormal forward movement of the coupler the shank let slides vertically through eye 5 until the under part of the semi-circular hook 18 engages the outer portion of the eye 5, thus a greater abnormal movement of the coupler is permissible without binding the link in the eye of the'operating rod; for instance, greater forward movement of the coupler is permissible in the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 than in the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

' A modification of my invention is shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 in which connecting link .8 consists of a bar bent at the center forming a loop 12 which passes through eye 13 of the coupler lock block 6. Shank 14 is formed by rebending the ends 24% and 25 at 26 above loop 12, bringing the ends together invertical and parallel alignment which pass through eye 5 of crank arm 4:. Shank 14: is rebent outwardly at 27 and the extreme ends of 24; and 25 being again rebent in opposite directions at.28, thus forming a head.

The extreme ends of the two portions forming the shank 1 1, as shown by 19, in Figs. 2, 3 and l, and numeral 28 in Figs. 5, G and 7 are deflected thus forming a head. The eye 8 of crank arm 4 of the operating rod 2 is rectangular so that the connecting link 8 can be inserted after which the crank arm l rotated in a horizontal plane about ninety degrees to place the two in operative connection, as shown in Fig. l.

The connecting link 8 is made of bar or rod of elastic or inelastic material, preferably spring steel, of any desired cross section, formed with a loop 12 for operative engagement with eye 13 of lock block (3 and provided with a vertical shank 14 for operative engagement with eye 5 of crank arm 4-. A vertical movement of crank arm a is transmitted to lock block 6 through connect ing link 8 thus operating the coupler 7 and when the crank arm 4 is raised each side of the loop 12 is in tension and tends to keep the coi'inecting link 8 from being distorted.

The shank 14 is of suflicient length to permit a freedom of movement of the crank arm 1 between the top of loop 12 and the bend t the top of connecting link 8. This move ment is necessary so that when the coupler lock block is in locked set position the operating crank man i can return to normal.

lVhat I claim is:

1. An uncoupling device for car couplers comprising an operating rod provided with a vertically disposed eye and a single link connecting said operating rod to said coupler, formed of .a single piece of metal bent to forma closed loop at the bottom for connection to the coupler with the ends rebent and brought together in parallel alignment to form a vertical shank for slidable engagement through said eye, said shank bent forwardly in a plane perpendicular to to the plane of the closed loop.

An uncoupling device for car couplers comprising an operating rod provided with a vertically disposed eye, and a single link connecting said operating rod to said coupler, formed of a single piece of metal bent to form a closed loop at the bottom for connection to the coupler with the. ends rebent and brought together in parallel alignment to form a vertical shank for slidable en gagement through said eye, said shank bent forwardly to form a semi-circular hook ly ing in a plane perpendicular to the plane of said closed loop, the component parts of said shank bent laterally therefron'i in opposite directions.

3. An article of manufacture, a link for uncoupling devices for car couplers, formed of a singlepiece of metal bent to form a closed loop at one end, with the ends rebent and brought together in parallel alignment to form a vertical shank, said shankbent forwardly to form a semi-circular hook lying in a plane perpendicular to the plane of said closed loop, the component parts of said shank bent laterally therefrom in opposite directions.

4. An article of manufacture, a link for uncoupling devices for car couplers, formed of a single piece of metal bent to form a closed loop at one end, with the ends rebent and brought together in parallel alignment to form a vertical shank, said shank bent forwardly in a plane perpendicular to the plane of said closed loop.

ARTHUR n. SMALL. 

